HTC Reportedly Developing Smartwatch with Built-In Camera

HTC is reportedly gearing up to release a Samsung Galaxy Gear competitor that runs Android and comes equipped with a camera, Bloomberg said Tuesday, citing an anonymous insider. The Taiwanese company has struggled to turn a profit on smartphone sales, and in a recent interview the company's top leadership suggested an HTC smartwatch and tablet are in the pipeline.

Beyond its camera, the alleged smartwatch is still in development, though Bloomberg's source says its cost, features and sales strategy are still undecided. In an interview earlier this week, CEO Peter Chou said he wouldn't release a smartwatch unless it could "meet a need," but with Samsung diving headfirst into wearables, HTC likely feels pressure to follow quickly or risk losing out on a potentially profitable new market.

At a town-hall meeting earlier today, HTC chairwoman Cher Wang attempted to rally her workers, telling them that the company needs to focus on its customers, chief marketing officer Ben Ho told Bloomberg. HTC worked with Google to release the first Android phone in 2008, but in recent years the company has seen slumping profits while Samsung and other competitors edge out the once-profitable company.

We're not sure a smartwatch is the path to profitability, but HTC definitely has the chops to build a great product.